Mr Putin praised the work his envoys had done the previous year. He said that they had completed the task of helping to bring regional legislation into compliance with federal law and creating a common legal space.
The President said the main direction of activity of his plenipotentiary envoys would be the delineation of powers between the federal centre and the regions, and between regional and local governments. This, he said, primarily applied to the delineation of financial powers. Presidential envoys should support local government to help it meet European standards, the President stressed.